Ways to Select a Topic for Research Paper Writing

Most of the times a research work has to be done for paper writing. It is crucial to select the right topic to make it interesting and a good read. When deciding the topic there are seven ways you should consider.

  1. Brainstorm the Ideas

First of all, know your interest that whether you like politics, social sciences, health, literature, etc. On the basis of your interest, search for the topic in school libraries or in the online writing lab.  These sources will provide you the popular resources or academic databases for the paper writing. You can also use Google Scholar or Google Books for the in-depth understanding of the topic. Check the encyclopedia as they can provide valuable information and are considered as credible sources for generating ideas.  Remember to select a unique idea and avoid overused ideas.

  1. Consider the 5W for Selection

Think about the topic by considering 5W during the selection of topic- Why, Who, What, Where, When.

Why- Ask yourself that why you have chosen a particular topic, what the reasons are for that topic to interests you.

Who- Try to figure out who can provide the information about the topic that you have chosen.

What- Research about what the questions are related to that topic? This will help in answering the queries of people through your writing.

Where- Find out where the topic more popular local, national or at international level.

When- Check whether your topic is dependent on the time period. Is it an evergreen or has popularity in the past?

  1. Utilize the Power of Search Engines

Search engines are the powerful tool to search for the topic. But don’t just rely on only the main search engine i.e. Google but also search the ideas on Bing, Yahoo and see if your searches are showing different results. Search about the topic in the search engines and narrow down your topic more specifically rather than the broader one. You can utilize the keywords that appear in the Google instant results and related keywords at the bottom of the search results. Research the exact keyword phrases for getting the information about a particular topic. These all tips will help in selecting the right topic for research paper writing.

  1. Keep the Focus on the Topic

It is important to keep the focus on the topic and manageable by narrowing down it. You can limit the topic based on geographic, language, culture, time frame, popularity. For performing the research, you can use advanced Google search by following the path Google homepage, click settings and then select advanced search. This will help in narrowing down the topic by filters like language, region and file type.

  1. Make a List of Keywords

Keywords play an important role in research paper writing. It is crucial to select the right keywords which describe your topic the best way. Note the keywords when your search in the search engines, encyclopedia or in online libraries. Narrow down your topic by using the synonyms or related keywords. These will widen your search capabilities and other ways to appear if you are writing it online. Try to use the popular keywords in the content of your paper writing to make it more effective and interesting.

  1. Use the Reliable Sources

With there is so much information available on the internet, it is important to trust the reliable one from unreliable or biased. Try to research on well-known sites but in case you searched on other sites then check the authority of the site.  You can note the key metrics such as the traffic, social shares, time spent on the site. Use tools such as similar web to know the details of any site. Select the site based on these factors to gather the trustworthy information from the online sources.

  1. Try to be Flexible

It is important to be flexible so that your content is neither too short nor too long. There is a rough guide to write the content for the particular type of content and choose the number of sources for the research.

1-2 Page Paper Writing= 2-3 magazine or websites

3-5 Page Paper Writing=4-8 magazines, books or websites.

Annotated Bibliography- 6-15 books, articles, websites or other items.

10-15 Page Paper Writing- 12-20 books, articles, websites or other items.

Research through these items and try to read more about your topic for thorough understanding. After finding the information on the topic, try to write a compelling tone for the research paper.

Final Thoughts

Use any of these ways to perform the research for paperwork. This will make the research easy and help to select the right topic for your paper writing. If the topic is convincing then it will make your paper writing more effective. Keep all these ways for researching in mind and start exploring the topic from today for your upcoming assignment.

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